AUSTRALIA’S CALL TO REPENTANCE & SOME RESPONSES

Australia’s Call to Repentance

22 October 2007

The news the other day revealed that the water level in LakeOntario has dropped half a meter due to drought, causing shipping to carry less. Massive floods elsewhere in the world. I don’t think there is a shortage of rain, its just that too much is falling in the wrong places. Climate change might be part of the reason. But there is another cause that the Bible makes clear.

Seeing across Australia bare earth were there once were green pastures, sheep carcasses and cattle dying in the mud of dried up dams and creeks, the rivers reduced to trickles and irrigation of Riverina orchards and rice now impossible for many, is bad. It is expected that thousands more farming families will walk off their farms this Spring and Summer if there is not enough Spring rain. But they can’t find buyers.

Optimistic forecasters predict normal rainfall patterns may return in November, but October will remain dry. It will be too late for many crops and animals to survive. Many farmers are now selling their precious breeding herds and flocks at low prices. There is no water and no feed for them. The Government will help some of them get re-established, retrained, etc. However, food prices and imports will increase. Our economy will suffer and unemployment will increase. Stocks and shares will lose value. It is very, very bad.

I received an email from Catch the Fire Ministries, calling Christians to a gathering to pray for rain to be held in the Great Hall of the National Parliament House, on 22nd October.

But I reckon we need a repentance gathering first and the Church leaders, the prime minister and other Christian politicians should be the first to repent of their leading the nation in the wrong direction, squandering our Christian heritage for material possessions, worldly status, foreign gods, etc. It started some 35 years ago. If Labor gets in this election even the tradition of opening each Parliamentary sitting with Christian prayer may be abolished.

They built a chapel in the top level of the new Parliament House inCanberra. It was built on the top level which to me signifies that Parliament and the nation are under God. But “political correctness” caused the chapel to be re-labeled “meditation room” or similar, and there are Buddhist statues and icons in it. I went there with a friend a few years ago to pray for the nation’s leaders and was astounded to discover that it was not dedicated to Christ any more. Are our National Parliament and the nation now under Buddha? Have we forgotten where our prosperity and freedom came from? Have we forsaken God and Christ?

Praying for rain is not effective without repentance. In fact, praying for anything without first repenting and seeking God’s forgiveness is ineffective.

He is generously giving us a chance to return to Him, the God of our fathers and mothers. He laid the foundation for our equitable Western nations. Otherwise we will degenerate further into materialism, selfishness and greed, and worse things may happen to us than this devastating drought, as is happening in other places around the world,IndonesiaandAsiaespecially. Yet many of our public figures are mimicking Asian and Indian cultures and religions, even in our Parliament House chapel! Do we want to follow their gods?

Repentance starts with us. Let us repent of our lack of attending enough to the things of God and putting too much of our time, money and desires into things of this world, and let us repent of our leaders lack of will to do God’s will, our lack of bearing one anothers’ burdens, including those of our indigenous peoples and refugees, and our lack of speaking out on His behalf. Let us agree to do better and to pass on this message to other Christians who feel as we do, that we need a National Day of Repentance. And then let us pray for a National Day of Repentance and for rain where it is needed around the world.

Australia has been given this opportunity to be an example. Let me know if you agree.

Three calls for Prayer and Repentance:

1. From Ps Peter Walker, Indigenous Elder.
Several weeks ago, in Sydney, Ps Peter Walker spoke to us about his great concern for the aboriginal people and the future direction of this nation. We encouraged him to form a small group to establish a direction for Christian action. Peter is a mighty man of prayer and so naturally he believed that was the place to start.
He has called on Christians across the nation to join him in what he is calling a National Synergy of Prayer – 21 days of praying and fasting for the nation, beginning today, 1st of October 2007, and going through until the 21st of October.
In association with The Australian Prayer Network Peter has now published his call to prayer – See the attached paper for more details.

Whilst this call is particularly aimed towards growing concerns about the indigenous people of Australia, Peter Walker also believes there is the need for two other major focuses for prayer in our nation right now, one is the forthcoming election and the other is the vital need for more rain across farming communities and water catchment areas.

2 Ps Danny Nalliah – a National Prayer Call for Rain and the Federal Election
On the 22 October there is to be a special National Prayer Call for Rain and the Federal Election at the Great Hall of our National Parliament – organised by Danny Nalliah (Catch The Fire Ministries) – See attached sheet for all the details

3. Tom Lovett – a call for a National Day of Repentance – see attached for more details
Tom Lovett, who runs a ministry in Sydney, wrote to me today saying he strongly believes we need a National Day of Repentance – yes, I hear some say there was the National Solemn Assembly in Canberra earlier this year and there will be a temptation to say ‘been there done that’ but there are still many Christians who have not even considered the thoughts Tom has about the connection between rain, or the continued lack of it, and repentance. That repentance is the responsibility of God’s people is abundantly clear from Scripture.

Do we need to pray and repent? YES.

The fact that we still face a drastic shortage of rain is obvious to those who look beyond their own front gardens. Many farmers are desperately in need of your prayers – and our repentance.

While our nation continues to loosen its grip on abortion, with the spread of the RU486 abortion drugs and abortion on demand already legal in some states and the strong possibility of its decriminalisation in Victoria- how can we not see the need for repentance?

With MPs, the ALP, activists and even some Christians calling for more acceptance of homosexuality through Relationship Registers and with courts trying to unravel the nightmare of children born to lesbians through government sponsored and paid for IVF, is there still a need for repentance?

With governments unable to agree to stop the production and spread of pornography from our National Capital and the subsequent damage to children and adults throughout our nation through its use, is there is a need for repentance?

With a growing number of paedophiles, encouraged by our sex-soaked culture, soliciting more and more young people for sex through Internet chat rooms and the like, is there not good reason for us to repent?

I could go on, but the question remains – who is responsible? IF MY PEOPLE – says the Lord (2 Chr 7:14).

Until we, the church in this nation, are prepared to pray, repent AND speak up regardless of the consequences, these issues and many more are like blood on OUR hands.

If we expect God to send rain and to bless this GreatSouthLandwith Godly Government then we need to heed these warnings and start praying like never before.Peter P StokesCo Founder & Executive Officer
Salt Shakers Inc
Ph: 03 9800 2855
Mb: 0413 084 145www.saltshakers.org.au

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”- James 5:16

There is a link between confessing our sins to each other and being righteous. There is also a link between being righteous and being powerful and effective in prayer.

Jesus also said, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven”- Matthew18:19

I totally agree Tom – We have actually been making this call for 13 years with the 2 Chr.7:14 verses printed in every one of our journals.

Of late (last 5 years we have been supporting the call to prayer and repentance known as ‘Rise Up Australia” led by Ps Danny Nalliah.

Can I circulate your paper through our network and the RUA network?

Peter Stokes, Executive Officer, Salt Shakers

Peter,

This is good stuff…. especially the article by Tom Lovett. Ever since the first National Day of Thanksgiving was instituted some years ago I have always been uncomfortable with the focus on ‘thanksgiving’ rather than ‘repentance’. Now with this new focus on repentance we at least stand a chance of making some progress with the church and nation.

I have no doubt that one of the best things to do daily is to pray with another born again Christian.

Ian Crook

Tom,

I did not realize that the drought was so serious. Your words are exactly right. There needs to be national repentance. You’ve always had that right! …. I’m glad you are working on this project again. It’s a good work. You have a heart for rural farmers that are suffering, don’t you. I am surmising that the drought has spurred you on to carry the torch once again. Anita Griggs, Gospel Light Publishers, LA, USA

Shalom Tom,

I am in agreement with your call to repentance before a very Holy God. I was horrified at what you discovered in the prayer room. That is an abomination before God. I will write to the PM about this. Please keep me in informed.

With Blessings, Evelyn McMenamin

Dear Tom

I have read your email regarding above and I totally agree with you, that is we have to repent before praying for rain. Florence Eng Ong

I am writing to let you know that my husband Alan and I agree totally with what you are saying and would support any move to call Christians to repentance.

To come together in prayer for desperately needed rain while there is so much sin in the church would be premature and also very presumptuous of Christians in assuming God will answer such prayers. We believe God requires the repentance and obedience of His people before He can move in this land ofAustralia.

We were shocked to hear of the chapel at Parliament House being turned into a meditation room embracing other forms of religion and idolatry, and clearly this needs to be addressed in a time of repentance as it is a demonstration of what is happening at the ‘top’ and flowing down through our country.

Alan and I are continually finding that Christians are extremely indifferent to the need to repent and stop sinning, and are pursuing all sorts of spiritual ‘experiences’ rather than following the path of obedience to Jesus.

We would encourage you to continue in your pursuits of this nature and thank you for encouraging us by reminding us that there are others out there who embrace the words of scripture and are not afraid to speak them out.